Hi All,

We have a problem with our 5 month old lab puppy.  She has been completely clean for a month and suddenly she's started weeing again.  If we are around she's good as gold and tells us she wants to go.

The last three days she's weed in the afternoon and the kitchen has been sodden when I've got home from work, and she's also weeing in the night.  She's only on her own for about 2 hours in a morning adn 2.5/3 hours in an afternoon.  She has been going through the night from 10pm to 6am and also if we go out in the evening she can manage 6 hours no problem.  We've started going back to basics and rewarding for doing it outside - my question is, what should I do about the times we're not there (we don't use a crate and don't want to) - should we go back to using paper - I'm at a complete loss and a bit frustrated with it - is this common?

No external factors have changed to bring about this backwards step.

Thanks for your help
Nx

PS.  We really don't want to use a crate so please don't suggest it.  It would be a last last last last last resort.

I'd suspect she's approaching her first season, and there isnt' a lot you can do about it :(  Many bitches seem to go backwards in their house training at this time, so it's just a matter of cleaning up properly afterwards (using a bio washing powder solution and spraying with  white or surgical spirit when the area is dry). Use paper to make the cleaning up easier for you if you like (you aren't 'paper training' the dog to go inside). The reason it happens is to avoid 'advertising' the fact that a vulnerable dog is coming up to being in season.

Thanks so much for your response - I hadn't thought of this!  I'll keep an extra close eye on her - we don't want any other type of 'accidents'!!!! :)
Nx

How near 6 months is she, she could be coming into season early & a bitch will pee more as they come into season to alert the prospective sires.

The other possibility is a urinary infection or cystitis

Hi Moonmaiden,

I'm 99% certain it's not an infection - she's only 3 weeks off 6 months old and she's big for her age too. 

Thanks so much for your reply I feel you must be right as she is so bright in every way regarding training she learns a comand in only a few minutes and like I said nothing has changed.  We've asked my mother in law to keep her for longer during the day for the next few weeks so she has easy access to outside apart from a couple of hours in the am/pm so that should help.  She's due to go in for spay and an Xray on her elbow in 3 weeks - no doubt she has other plans and will come into season before then!

Thank you
Nx

LOL that would be typical My late X breed came into season at the vets whilst waiting to be spayed :( & both me & the vet nurse checked her before she was signed in !

Still once she's done you should be able to get back to normal(whatever that is with a dog :D)